1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting method of a belt such as a flat belt and a toothed belt for transmission or transportation, and to a presetter and a belt connecting apparatus that are used in the connecting method.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, the flat belt and the toothed belt for transmission or transportation are normally used with their both ends connected in an endless state. Examples of the shapes of connections of the flat belt are a skive (taper) shape, a step shape, and a finger shape. The shape of a connection of the toothed belt is a rectangular finger shape, and the like. To form a connection of any one of the shapes, connecting portions are temporarily laminated and then inserted into a cold platen press so as to be heated and pressurized. It is however necessary for an operator to be skilled in linearly laminating both ends of a belt with no bend.
For this reason, conventionally, there has been used a fitting jig called “presetter” as described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H4-305436 (FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7). Unskilled one can easily form an end less connection of a belt by temporarily laminating both ends of the belt with a presetter, and setting the presetter into a cold platen press. Further, the use of the pressetter makes it easy to perform successive insertion into the cold platen press.
FIGS. 12A to 12C are schematic perspective views illustrating a conventional presetter as described in the above Publication No. 4-305436. That is, FIG. 12A is a schematic perspective view illustrating a presetter applied to a flat belt whose connecting portions at both ends are of a skive shape, or a step shape. FIG. 12B is a schematic perspective view illustrating a presetter applied to a flat belt whose connecting portions at both ends are of a finger shape. FIG. 12C is a schematic perspective view illustrating a presetter applied to a toothed belt whose connecting portions at both ends are of a rectangular finger shape.
Referring to FIG. 12A, a lower mold 51 of the presetter applied to a flat belt 53 of the skive shape or the step shape is profiled with a groove C in the shape of a concave which corresponds to the width of the flat belt 53 to be processed. It is constructed and arranged so that the connecting portions of the flat belt 53 are inserted into the groove C, and a cushion mat 54 or the like as an intermediate member for dispersing press pressure is placed thereon, and an upper mold (a keep plate) 52 is placed thereon, all of which are then pressed from above.
Referring to FIG. 12B, similarly, a lower mold 51 of the presetter applied to a flat belt 53 of the finger shape is profiled with a groove C in the shape of a concave which corresponds to the width of the flat belt 53 to be processed. It is constructed and arranged so that the connecting portions of the flat belt 53 are inserted into the groove C, and a resin sheet 58 and a cushion mat 54 or the like are placed on the connecting portions, and an upper mold (a keep plate) 52 is placed thereon, all of which are then pressed from above.
Referring to FIG. 12C, in the presetter applied to a toothed belt 63 of the finger shape, lower mold side members 61a and 61b, each provided with tooth space, are engaged with each other to a lower mold bottom plate 61 provided with tooth space, and a plurality of fixing screws 57 are used to fix a plurality of positions, thereby forming a groove C corresponding to the width of the toothed belt 63. It is constructed and arranged so that the rectangular finger connecting portions of the toothed belt 63 are inserted into the groove C, and the upper surface of the connecting portions are covered with a resin sheet 58, and a cushion mat 54 or the like is placed thereon, and further an upper mold (a keep plate) 52 is placed thereon, all of which are then pressed from above.
Nevertheless, in the above-mentioned arrangements of the conventional presetters, the groove C in the shape of a concave, into which the connecting portions are inserted, has a constant width, whereas the flat belt and the toothed belt whose connecting portions are connected to each other have different widths. It is therefore necessary to prepare a presetter per width of a belt processed. There is also a problem that successive insertions of the connecting portions having the same width into the cold platen press requires a large number of presetters having the same width.